CGB forfeits season-opening win

Steve Clark takes a look at the state of week two high school football games around the area on the latest edition of Sheboygan Press Pass.
Joe Sienkiewicz

It’s the kind of thing that can send a team in one of two ways.

Cedar Grove-Belgium forfeited its Week 1 win over Kohler/Lutheran/Christian when the school discovered it had used an ineligible player. The Rockets’ 50-22 win over the Bombers was wiped off the books and their 1-0 mark was turned the other way.

Head coach Dan Scheurs, who had his first win as a varsity head coach wiped away, wondered how his team would react to the news. It could either be a rallying point for the rest of the season or it could break down the team’s chemistry and focus moving forward, sending the Rockets into a tailspin.

It didn’t take long to find out which.

“After our athletic director came out and made the announcement to them (on Wednesday), they could have had a very bad practice,” Scheurs said. “But it was one of the better ones. It was very aggressive, very physical and the guys were motivated.”

According to Scheurs, athletic director Brad Mayer informed him on Monday afternoon about the issue. Scheurs told a few team members on Tuesday and then let the team know in full on Wednesday of the situation.

The school self-reported the situation to the WIAA once it was discovered and the game was ruled a forfeit on Wednesday.

Scheurs, who is in his first year as a varsity head coach with the Rockets, didn’t believe the forfeit will have an effect on the squad, other than in the team’s record.

“I have a very good group of guys and there’s not much that will really get them down,” Scheurs said. “I met with my captains first and explained the situation and they were like, ‘Well, we just have to win out.’

“I’m very proud of how they handled and I’m excited to see how this will carry over to the field.”

Cedar Grove-Belgium will need to be sharp as it hosts Ozaukee (1-0) in a huge early-season matchup in the Big East Conference. The two teams finished 1-2 in the Central Lakeshore Conference last year, with Ozaukee winning the team title based on its 28-20 win over the Rockets.

It’s a game Cedar Grove-Belgium still remembers.

“It was brought up even as the season started in early August,” Scheurs said. “It’s a little extra motivation knowing they beat us. We’re looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can come out on the other end this time.”

Tough start

Sheboygan South’s welcome to the 2015 season didn’t come with confetti, a cake and some lemonade.

Instead, the Redwings got three of the Fox River Classic Conference’s best.

South opened the season against Ashwaubenon, which handed the Redwings a 42-7 loss, and will host Notre Dame this Friday before heading to Bay Port in Week 3. Those three teams went a combined 28-6 a season ago and all three made the postseason.

For good measure, Sheboygan North’s opening schedule wasn’t a cakewalk either. The Golden Raiders welcome in Bay Port this week before the long road trip to Pulaski in Week 3. That’s after facing a Green Bay Southwest team that had made the playoffs for six straight seasons before last year in Week 1.

Richter scale

Ozaukee’s Michael Richter is picking right where he left off last season.

The senior wide receiver, a unanimous first-team all-CLC selection a year ago and WFCA honorable mention all-state honoree, had a big game in the Warriors’ opener catching five passes for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The 153 yards ranked 15 th among receivers around the state, while his 30.6 per catch average was the second highest among players with at least five receptions and sixth highest among players with at least four receptions.

“He’s a very, very, very talented receiver. He’s very tall and very physical,” Scheurs said. “We’re anticipating a bit of a different matchup against him. We’re going to change defenses to utilize some of our players for a matchup against him.”

Five of a kind

Half of the area’s 12 football teams face a tough early road as their first three opponents combined to have a winning record last year. Here are the area teams whose first three opponent’s had best winning percentages last year:

•1. Sheboygan South (Ashwaubenon, Notre Dame, Bay Port, .823 winning percentage in 2014): Two of the games are at home for the Redwings, but still no easy task.

•3. Sheboygan North (GB Southwest, Bay Port, Pulaski, .612): Southwest and Pulaski are both regular playoff qualifiers who are coming off down years, so Golden Raiders’ slate may actually be tougher.

•4. Cedar Grove-Belgium (KLC, Ozaukee, St. Mary Catholic, .607): Only one playoff team in that group for the Rockets, but showdown with Ozaukee could go long way in determining Big East champion.

•5. Oostburg (Ozaukee, Howards Grove, Reedsville, .566): Not an easy trio for the Dutchmen and starting with three conference games is always tough.

Top 5

Each week I will rank what I feel are the top 5 teams in the area. These rankings are not based on head-to-head competition (No. 1 team would beat No. 2 team), rather it will be gauging how they would stack up against teams in their own division. With that said, here are the Week 1 rankings.

•1. Ozaukee (1-0): Opened the season with a big win over Oostburg. A win over Cedar Grove-Belgium this week would be big in the Big East title chase.

•2. Cedar Grove-Belgium (0-1): Sounds like the Week 1 forfeit will only serve as motivation for the Rockets … and they did score 50 points.

•3. Kiel (1-0): The Raiders showcased the balanced attack of quarterback Nicholas Walsh and running back Ben Mannenbach and have a good shot to get to 2-0 this week against Ripon.

•4. Sheboygan Falls (1-0): A 63-6 win is a 63-6 win, which is what the Falcons registered against Milwaukee Washington in Week 1. Much tougher test this week with Plymouth.

•5. Plymouth (0-1): The Panthers will have to sure up its defense after allowing nearly 400 yards of total offense last week.